Ominous Cloud
by idreamedofstardust
Summary: Unwilling to let Mordrake take the twins, Elsa spills out the name and location of what she promises is a "pure" freak. Edward is skeptical, but decides to take a look.


**Bolded italics is the demon talking. I changed some events from the episodes to fit my plot. I apologize for any OOC-ness. Hope you enjoy. **

* * *

><p>The moment Edward Mondrake's black, leather boots touched the dry, Florida grass on all Hallow's eve, he instinctively knew, though unsure how, that this year would be different.<p>

This wasn't an all too difficult epiphany to accept. Edward found that despite reaping a soul from whichever freak show called upon him every few years, life could, in someways, still surprise him. After more than a century of fire and brimstone, he all but welcomed the unexpected. It reminded him of what had once made him so passionate about life in the first place.

It all began the very night he was summoned to Jupiter. A peculiar name for a town, to be sure, but something he could only note briefly.

By the end of the night, one freak would be leaving with him. His duty was figuring out who.

Shifting through all the potential candidates proved to be as tedious as it was heartbreaking. It took a great deal of suffering to appease the demon on the back of his head.

Edward, however, was uncommonly empathetic to the agony of others. In ways, it mirrored his own.

So, as he listened to the tragedies relayed to him, most persons with either tears in their eyes or trembles in their voice, he couldn't help but find a convenient opportunity to stand up or look away. Anything to guard his own feelings on their unfortunate situations.

He'd almost been certain that the vain Elsa Mars would be his accomplice. He'd spared four freaks before her and the demon, despite being the decider of who stayed and went, was beginning to grow agitated at the continuous mercy. Additionally, her underlying apathy was certainly freak-like in nature.

However, at the last moment, he ended up pulling back his knife and sparing her.

She met much of the criteria, that was clear, but the circumstances of taking her now simply felt wrong to him.

In response to his charity, the woman glanced up at him, tears shining in her dead eyes, makeup smeared above and below her lashes.

"What are you waiting for?" she demanded again, voice weaker than before. "Kill me."

_**Her desire to die is pitiful. Spare her only for the purpose of lengthening her pain.**_

Edward released a soft sigh before stepping backwards. Just when he believed the demon could not be crueler, it proved him wrong.

Then again, his own sorrow was not as powerful for Elsa as it was for some of the earlier freaks he had met. A part of his heart truly hoped for an ease to their anguish.

"You are not taking me?"

His eyes dropped down to the woman, fingers still tight on his knife.

"It would appear...not," he answered slowly. "Unfortunately, this does put me in a predicament. I had hoped to visit no more freaks tonight, or at least attempt to spare the ones who were innocent of my summoning. But because the demon is not yet appeased, I may very well have to expand my options. Tell me, how precious are the twins to you?"

"Keine!"she suddenly shouted, pushing herself up into a standing position. "You are not stealing my headliners!"

"So you did not offer them a place in your show for the purpose of attracting an audience to your own?" he patiently questioned, already knowing the answer.

Elsa abruptly turned away from him.

He watched her carefully, curious as to what truths she would allow her lips to divulge. Moreso, he was, if not a bit reluctantly, amazed at her emotional endurance. Not many freaks who had told him their stories were able to collect themselves so immediately. Perhaps there was something worthy of Elsa Mars after all.

_**Pay attention, you fool! You are not here to reflect. You are here to bring carnage!**_

"Hush," he ordered quietly, head inclined to the side. "Your grievances are counterproductive."

He could feel the demon gathering energy to speak once more, but at the last moment, the voice quieted. Not a second later and Elsa spun around, eyes wide. Her smile revealed a line of straight teeth and a smear of red upon the first two.

"I can help you!" she professed, clasping her hands. "I know who you must visit. I know who would meet your definition of a pure freak."

Edward raised a brow, silently gesturing for her to continue.

"She introduced herself to me as Dorothy. Her house is opposite the run down movie theater on the other end of town."

"And what makes you so confident she is what I am looking for?"

Elsa's dry laugh nearly shook her entire body.

"Because she is the only freak I have _ever_ turned away from my show."

Try as he might to deny it, Edward was intrigued with this information. And he didn't need to hear the demon to know it was as well.

"If your promise is empty," he warned, pocketing his knife, "I may very well return for all of your performers."

"You will not be disappointed," Elsa assured hastily, left hand snatching up a pack of cigarettes.

Contemplating an inquisitive thought, Edward trained his focus on the woman once more.

"You have me curious...what is this Dorothy's...deficiency?"

Only after her cigarette was lit did Elsa answer.

"You will find out for yourself, ja? Is that not how it goes? You either see it firsthand or coerce out of us a sob story."

Tilting his head to the side, Edward loosened his grip on his cane.

"You do not try to hide your disregard for others, do you?"

Elsa shrugged, puffing out a heap of smoke.

"I went to great lengths to get my twins. Consider it a business transaction. Once you find what a gem Dorothy is, you will no doubt take her. We both win."

Edward considered her words, a frown tugging at his lips.

"I suppose," he mused, "the illusion that this is only business is a fonder one than acknowledging your moral corruptness."

The woman's smile dimmed into a thin lipped scowl.

"You know _nothing_ about me."

"I'm afraid I know more than I ever intended to learn."

At his words, a green mist began to seep through the tent.

"A lovely evening to you, madame," Edward offered, tipping his hat. "Pray our paths do not cross again."

Before she could get in a final word, he vanished.

x_X_x_X_x_X_x

The house Elsa spoke of indeed existed and was not all too difficult to find. It sat isolated of any neighbors, upon grass that appeared much healthier than the rest of the town. Edward could not think of a reason why.

Rather subconsciously, his curiosity peaked.

Outwardly, the house was small and disheveled. One would not immediately assume someone inhabited it. A broken window and rotted steps almost gave it a ghoulish feel. He did not doubt small children dared each other to enter it. What they would find inside...well, he was probably more intrigued about that discovery then they were.

Seeing as he had little knowledge of what he would find inside, Edward, almost tentatively, stood directly at the entrance of the front door for a solid two minutes, hands clasped behind his back. Granted, he could not be harmed by whatever freak resided inside, but he also held a desire to know what grotesque travesty this Dorothy had suffered. It must have been grave if Elsa would not take her.

**_Cease behaving like a scared simpleton and get in the house already._**

Tampering down his annoyance, Edward closed his eyes and worked on summoning the mist. Reluctant as he was to admit it, the demon was right. He should not be showing trepidation.

His eyes abruptly slipped open, however, upon detecting a high pitched creak ripping through the quiet air.

A second later and half of a woman's form could be seen behind the partially open front door.

Caught off guard, Edward raised his chin, eyes giving the woman a quick skim.

"Good evening, my lady."

Based on her cautious examination of him, he expected a soft, hesitant voice to respond.

"Swell costume," the woman complimented, throwing the rest of the door open. "I was hoping you would get closer. I was also hoping you weren't the serial killer that's been offing everyone. You're not, are you?"

Edward blinked, eyes once again sweeping over her form.

It wasn't his intention to seem perverse, but he had a remarkably difficult time not absorbing every inch of her.

Primarily because there was nothing, at least upon an initial scan, that looked out of the ordinary.

She was a younger woman, perhaps just a full head shorter than he, with brown hair tied in a loose, sloppy bun. Freckles peppered her ivory complexion, seeming to specifically straddle the bridge of her nose. Her eyes reflected the color of an ocean on a particularly sunny day. And though she adorned an oversized, white blouse and long, brown skirt, Edward's eyes were able to detect the curve of her hips and slight, though not protruding, swell of her tummy.

_**Your eyes do not normally take in such fine detail of a woman. May I suggest gutting her to see her insides better?**_

"Stop," he murmured, inclining his head to the side. "Being devoid of lust does not mean I cannot admire a woman's beauty."

_**I have no objections. I merely believe your knife may help in your inspection.**_

Forcing back a scowl, Edward nearly forgot an answer was expected out of him._  
><em>

"I am not the killer."

The woman relaxed, though now it was her turn to observe him with curiosity.

"You think I'm beautiful?"

Debating how to give his answer, Edward admitted, "It was a stray thought that objected to being contained."

"Ha, that's incredible," she marveled, resting her weight against the door, "you even play the role of a gentleman. I am definitely glad you decided to introduce yourself from the shadows."

Edward tilted his head to the side.

"The shadows?"

"Well, I saw you through the upstairs window, lurking by the old movie theater for about ten minutes," she explained, gesturing her head behind him. "Had a hard time telling whether you were friend or foe. Glad to know you're the former."

This did surprise him, though he was careful to not show it.

_**It's impossible for her to have seen us. We were hidden from sight. **_

Internally, Edward concurred with this statement. He had purposefully kept himself invisible when analyzing the house. There simply was no plausible way she could have seen him.

_**Suddenly, we have a curious little problem, don't we?**_

"Quite," he agreed.

"You talk to yourself, don't you?"

Snapped out of his thoughts, Edward fumbled for a suitable answer.

"My apologies-.'

"No, no," she insisted, "it's fine. My uncle did that. Said it helped him figure things out."

He released the tension he didn't even know had built up, from his shoulders.

"So...um...did you want to come in for some candy? I know you're a bit old, but I actually think it stinks that there's an age where you're supposed to willingly give up getting free candy. I'm all for trick r treating, no matter what age."

Unable to stop himself, Edward released a soft smile.

"You are too kind, my dear. Though, if it would not ail too much, I am also in need of directions."

The woman's eyes lit up.

"No, not at all! I've only just started learning the town, but I'm more than happy to help."

"Excellent, thank you."

"Oh...I'm Dorothy, by the way. I also go by Thea," she said, extending her hand. "If it seems like I'm eager for company, you're not wrong. I don't get many visitors. Well, none apart from the boys who try to break in here because they hear it's haunted."

_**How clever, Eddie. You should reward yourself by hunting down a few of them and boiling them alive.**_

Ignoring the malicious thoughts, Edward accepted Dorothy's palm and placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand.

"How does your wife let you out of the house?" Dorothy marveled, stepping off to side of the entrance.

The comment both amused and saddened him.

"I am unattached," he revealed, stepping inside, "free to go where I wish."

"I mean this in a really complementary way - that's a shame. I can think of a handful of girls, probably more, who'd marry you on the spot just based on how sweet you've been."

Her genuineness was difficult to not notice or respond to. He felt this most persistently upon realizing his legs desired to move forward in an effort to be nearer to her.

_**Are we contemplating lust? **_

Edward instantly took a step backwards.

"I'll go get the city map," Dorothy relayed, shooting him a smile. "Make yourself comfortable. Let me know if you want something to drink."

She ambled off with long steps, allowing his eyes a fine view of her backside swaying back and forth, tight against the fabric.

"Not lust," Edward maintained, taking a moment to eye his surroundings. "You know I am incapable of feeling anything of the sort. But she is courteous. In both life and death, I have always seen this as an attractive trait."

_**That and nothing else?**_

"Of course not. If my eyes linger, it is only to determine what abnormality Elsa deemed too exotic to accept. As of yet, I see none. Her limbs are unmarked and healthy. Her face is free of physical deformities."

_**For now.**_

"Stop it," Edward scolded, freezing in place. "I have noticed you are not being of any help. Is there nothing you are able to detect about her?"

Unpredictably, the demon stayed silent.

"Then we must be cordial," he finished calmly. "Until we are able to conclude Thea's peculiarities."

_**On pet names already? We mustn't get too close to the prey.**_

"I am not weak willed enough to consider laying a finger on her just to appease you."

_**Perhaps not on her, but surely in?**_

Edward's grip on his cane nearly grew painful.

"Why pollute my thoughts with actions neither of us would find true pleasure in performing?"

_**I live to eat at your sanity and drink from your despair. It pleases me to know I can still make you suffer.**_

Inhaling deeply, Edward searched for a place to sit.

"Behave," he quietly ordered, settling for a soft, albeit dusty armchair.

_**We were deceived. As you have made the noble duty of pointing out, there is nothing freakish about this woman.**_

"Elsa-."

_**Lied. Return to the grounds and skin her alive.**_

"I do not believe she lied."

_**You have no proof!**_

"On the contrary, Elsa Mars's character is evidence enough. She is aware of the consequences that will result should she lie and knows my presence is inescapable. Thus, I am convinced there is an unusualness Thea harbors and I am even willing to believe it is bizarre enough to unnerve Elsa Mars."

_**That proves nothing.**_

"Have you not been paying attention? You were the one, as I recall, to help me decipher Elsa's nature," Edward reminded carefully. "Her nature is the evidence itself, as is Dorothy's. It takes a cruel human being to use a kind one as a shield."

A few seconds passed by before the demon responded.

_**Pray you are right. Should her freakishness be dwarfed by her humanity, I will possess you myself, cut open her throat, and bathe in her blood.**_

"I will not allow it," he growled, snapping his head to the side.

_**Ah, I always enjoy testing your endurance. We shall see, we shall see, Eddie.**_

Edward exhaled harshly, finally releasing his hold on the cane.

Any further tightening and he was sure it would have splintered in two.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope it's somewhat interesting. Will Dorothy prove to be a freak? If so, what is she? Again, I'm sorry for the bad characterizations. I know the show had the demon face be a constant voice of hostility and malice, but I also think because it was born with the same brain as Edward, that it would keep some of the regal manners of speaking. Additionally, I'm not even going to pretend I know how to write a German accent. But I think Elsa's non-verbal actions are distinctive enough. I'd like to continue this story, but if there's no interest, I don't mind setting it aside and counting it a day.<strong>


End file.
